Download - Kent & Co. Diamond Buying Guide
Because we know this process can be
confusing, we've put together this
information to give you a starting point,
along with some helpful tips and
information to guide you on your diamond
buying journey.
At Kent & Company, we believe and
educated and informed consumer will be a
satisfied and confident customer!
Buying a diamond can be an
overwhelming experience.
Copyright 2012 Kent & Co. Jewelers, All Rights Reserved
GIA created the first, and now globally
accepted standard for describing
diamonds: Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat
Weight. Today, the 4Cs of Diamond Quality is
the universal method for assessing the quality
of any diamond, anywhere in the world.
The creation of the Diamond 4Cs meant two
very important things: Diamond quality could
be communicated in a universal language, and
diamond customers could now know exactly
what they were about to purchase.
Every diamond is a chance of creation,
a miracle of time and place.
Copyright 2012 Kent & Co. Jewelers, All Rights Reserved
The diamond color evaluation process of
most gem-quality diamonds is based
upon the absence of color. GIA's color scale
begins at the letter D (skipping A, B and C) and
ends at the letter Z. A chemically pure and
structurally perfect diamond has no hue, like a
drop of pure water, and consequently, it will have
a higher value. Therefore, a diamond with a "D"
color is more valuable than a diamond with an
"F" color, and so on down the color scale
grade. This holds true until you reach the
bottom of GIA's color scale grade and begin to
get into what is termed "Fancy Intense" colors.
Did you know? Diamond Color
actually means Lack of Color
Copyright 2012 Kent & Co. Jewelers, All Rights Reserved
Many of these color distinctions from letter to
letter are so subtle that they are invisible to the
untrained eye; however, these distinctions make
a very big difference in diamond quality and
price.
Natural diamonds are the result of carbon
exposed to tremendous heat and pressure deep
in the earth. Because of this process, a variety of
internal characteristics called 'inclusions' and
external characteristics called 'blemishes,'
normally occur in most diamonds mined and
polished for jewelry.
Did you know? Diamond Clarity Refers
To Absence of Inclusions and Blemishes
Copyright 2012 Kent & Co. Jewelers, All Rights Reserved
Evaluating diamond clarity involves a process of
determining the exact number, size, relief,
nature, and position of these characteristics,
as well as how these affect the overall
appearance of the stone. While no diamond is
perfectly pure, the closer it comes to being
perfect under 10 power magnification, the
higher its value becomes.
The GIA Diamond Clarity Scale has 6 categories,
some of which are divided, for a total of 11
specific grades.
• Flawless (F) - No inclusions and no blemishes visible
under 10x magnification
• Internally Flawless (IF) - No inclusions visible under 10x
magnification
Did you know? Diamond Clarity Refers
To Absence of Inclusions and Blemishes
Copyright 2012 Kent & Co. Jewelers, All Rights Reserved
• Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) - Inclusions so
slight they are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10x
magnification
• Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) - Inclusions are observed
with effort under 10x magnification, but are considered minor
•Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2) - Inclusions are noticeable under
10x magnification
•Included (I1, I2, and I3) - Inclusions are obvious under 10x
magnification which may affect transparency and brilliance
Many inclusions and blemishes are too tiny to be
seen by anyone other than a trained diamond grader.
To the naked eye, a VS1 and an SI2 diamond may look exactly
the same, but these diamonds are quite different in terms of
overall quality. This is why expert and accurate assessment of
diamond clarity is extremely important.
Did you know? Diamond Clarity Refers
To Absence of Inclusions and Blemishes
Copyright 2012 Kent & Co. Jewelers, All Rights Reserved
Diamonds are renowned for their ability to
transmit light and sparkle so intensely. We
often think of a diamond's cut as shape (round,
emerald, pear), but a diamond's cut grade is really
about how well a diamond's facets are able to
interact with light. Precise artistry and workmanship
are required to fashion a stone so its proportions,
symmetry, and polish deliver the magnificent return
of light only possible in a diamond.
A diamond's cut is crucial to the stone's final beauty
and value. And of all the diamond 4Cs, it is the most
complex and technically difficult to analyze.
Did you know? A Diamond’s Cut
Unleashes Its Light
Copyright 2012 Kent & Co. Jewelers, All Rights Reserved
To determine the cut grade of the standard round
brilliant diamond—the shape that dominates the
majority of diamond jewelry – GIA calculates the
proportions of those facets that influence the
diamond's face-up appearance. These proportions
allow GIA to evaluate how successfully a diamond
interacts with light to create desirable visual effects
such as:
Brightness: Internal and external white light reflected
from a diamond
Fire: The scattering of white light into all the colors of the
rainbow
Scintillation: The amount of sparkle a diamond produces,
and the pattern of light and dark areas caused by
reflections within the diamond
Did you know? A Diamond’s Cut
Unleashes Its Light
Copyright 2012 Kent & Co. Jewelers, All Rights Reserved
GIA's diamond cut grade also takes into account
the design and craftsmanship of the diamond,
including its weight relative to its diameter, its
girdle thickness (which affects its durability), the
symmetry of its facet arrangement, and the
quality of polish on those facets.
The GIA Diamond Cut Scale for standard round
brilliant diamonds in the D-to-Z diamond color
range contains 5 grades ranging from Excellent to
Poor.
Did you know? A Diamond’s Cut
Unleashes Its Light
Copyright 2012 Kent & Co. Jewelers, All Rights Reserved
A metric "carat" is defined as 200 milligrams.
Each carat can be subdivided into 100 'points.'
This allows very precise measurements to the
hundredth decimal place. A jeweler may describe
the weight of a diamond below one carat by its
'points' alone.
For instance, the jeweler may refer to a diamond
that weighs 0.25 carats as a 'twenty-five pointer.'
Diamond weights greater than one carat are
expressed in carats and decimals. A 1.08 carat
stone would be described as 'one point oh eight
carats.' All else being equal, diamond price
A Diamond’s Carat Weight
is how much the diamond weighs
Copyright 2012 Kent & Co. Jewelers, All Rights Reserved
diamond price increases with diamond carat
weight, because larger diamonds are more rare
and more desirable. But two diamonds of equal
carat weight can have very different values (and
prices) depending on three other factors of the
diamond 4Cs: Clarity, Color, and Cut.
It's important to remember that a diamond's
value is determined using all of the 4Cs, not just
carat weight.
A Diamond’s Value is Determined
Using all of the Four C’s
Copyright 2012 Kent & Co. Jewelers, All Rights Reserved